Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Roman Collector, post: 3042549, member: 75937&quot;]This reverse type is unique to Crispina, the wife of Commodus, who was childless as far as is known to history.</p><p><br /></p><p>We don&#039;t know the circumstances surrounding the issuance of this coin. It would seem that the empress had dedicated an altar to the <i>dei genitales</i>, either for having had children, or that she might obtain fertility from them, or that she might commend the child, with which she was pregnant, to their care and protection. The inscription is a dedicatory phrase -- the dative form of the plural, <i>dei genitales</i> (&quot;generative gods&quot;) -- and thus means &quot;to the generative gods.&quot; The <i>dei genitales</i> were divinities thought by the Romans to be the parents of all things, both animate and inanimate.*</p><p><br /></p><p>Crispina also issued coins with the inscription DIS CONIVGALIBVS, perhaps wishing for happiness in marriage. Unfortunately, the wishes expressed on her coins could not be said to have been successful.</p><p><br /></p><p>The coin comes with two obverse inscriptions, CRISPINA AVG (earlier; RSC 15) and CRISPINA AVGVSTA (later; RSC 16); it is also known with a left-facing bust (RSC 16a).</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]759587[/ATTACH]</p><p>Crispina, AD 180-182</p><p>Roman AR denarius, 3.15 g, 19.5 mm, 11 h</p><p>Rome, AD 177-180</p><p>Obv: CRISPINA AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, right</p><p>Rev: DIS GENITALIBVS, large rectangular altar, garlanded and lighted</p><p>Refs: RIC 281a; BMCRE 31-32; RSC 15; RCV 5999 var.; MIR 18, 8-4a; CRE 277.</p><p><br /></p><p>Post anything you feel is relevant!</p><p><br /></p><p>*Penn, R. G. <i>Medicine on Ancient Greek and Roman Coins</i>. Seaby, 1994, p. 66.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in